vaatsid

Vaatsid is an Estonian anatomical term referring to the viscera, i.e., the internal organs contained within the thoracic and abdominal cavities. In medical and veterinary contexts, vaat­sid describe the organs that carry out essential bodily functions such as digestion, circulation, excretion, and respiration. In humans, typical visceral organs include the stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, heart, and lungs, as well as other components of the abdominal and chest cavities.

The term is most commonly found in anatomy and physiology literature and is sometimes used to emphasize the contents of the internal cavities rather than the specific tissues themselves. In everyday language, more general terms such as elundid (organs) or kõhuelundid (abdominal organs) are also common. In some sources, vaatsid may be encountered as part of descriptions that distinguish visceral organs from other anatomical structures like blood vessels or the musculoskeletal system.

In comparative anatomy, vaat­sid can vary between species. For example, in ruminant animals the stomach comprises multiple compartments that form a specialized viscera system for fermentation and digestion, illustrating how vaat­sid adapt to different digestive strategies.

Anatomical context: viscera are typically covered by serous membranes such as the peritoneum and are housed within the ventral body cavity or, for some organs, in the thoracic or retroperitoneal spaces. The study of vaat­sid intersects with medicine, physiology, and veterinary science.

See also: abdomen, visceral organs, peritoneum, anatomy, veterinary anatomy.